Today the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Toolkit V2 went live on the Microsoft Download Center.  This release is a follow up to our original release back in 2007.  With this V2 release we re-introduced the Delete Group Class, MP Troubleshooter, Preload Package and Send Schedule Tools from the SMS 2003 Toolkit.   All four tools where frequently requested from our customers and we are happy to enable them for use with ConfigMgr 2007 with some added features.  The release also includes an updated Security Configuration Wizard Template for ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 and Windows Server 2008 R2.  Furthermore this release includes all the original 2007 Toolkit tools along with the new ones in one easy to install MSI.

The following list provides specific information about each tool in the toolkit.

• Client Spy - A tool that helps you troubleshoot issues related to software distribution, inventory, and software metering on Configuration Manager 2007 clients.
• Delete Group Class Tool - A tool used to remove inventory group definitions along with history data, tables, views and stored procedures for the group.
  • New in 2007: In addition to removing the entries in the GroupMap and AtttributeMap tables, Delete Group Class Tool also removes the inventory stored procedures, schema views and tables.
• Desired Configuration Management Migration Tool - A tool used to migrate from the DCM Solution for SMS 2003 to DCM in ConfigMgr 2007.
• Desired Configuration Management Model Verification Tool - A tool used by desired configuration management content administrators for the validation and testing of configuration items and baselines authored externally from the Configuration Manager console.
• Desired Configuration Management Substitution Variable Tool - A tool used by desired configuration management content administrators for authoring desired configuration management configuration items that use chained setting and object discovery.
• Management Point Troubleshooter Tool - A tool that checks a computer system before and after a management point installation to ensure that the installation meets the requirements for management points.
  • New in 2007: MP Troublshooter Tool can detect WebDAV rules and will provide simple automatic fix, which will help admin to correct issues like WebDAV authoring rules.  Also supports Native Mode.
• Policy Spy - A policy viewer that helps you review and troubleshoot the policy system on Configuration Manager 2007 clients.
• Preload Package Tool - A tool used to manually install compressed copies of package source files on Configuration Manager 2007 sites.
  • New in 2007: Preload Package Tool now supports compressing packages before transferring them across the network.  Supported Packages: Software Distribution Package, Virtual Application Package, Boot Image, Operating System Image, Operating System Install Package and Driver Package.
• Security Configuration Wizard Template for Configuration Manager 2007 - The Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) is an attack-surface reduction tool for the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system. Security Configuration Wizard determines the minimum functionality required for a server's role or roles, and disables functionality that is not required. The Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 Security Configuration Wizard template supports new site system definitions and enables the required services and ports.
• Send Schedule Tool - A tool used to trigger a schedule on a Client or trigger the evaluation of a specified DCM Baseline. You can trigger a schedule either locally or remotely.
  • New in 2007: Send Schedule Tool can now trigger DCM Baseline evaluation.
• Trace32 - A log viewer that provides a way to easily view and monitor log files created and updated by Configuration Manager 2007 clients and servers.

Jeff Wettlaufer 
Sr. Technical Product Manager
System Center

When I meet with partners and customers about our client management technologies, I am frequently asked for information about companies with similar circumstances or case studies. We have a great library of case studies on System Center that demonstrate some of the amazing things that our customers do for their organizations. In order to share those really great contributions, I am going to highlight some of the new stories when they come out.

The first one that I wanted to highlight is for General Mills – one of the world’s leading food companies and No. 1 on Computerworld’s Best Places to Work in IT List.

With employees increasingly on the move, General Mills wanted to provide their users with more flexibility and broaden their employee’s technology options – without raising IT costs or sacrificing network security. With a strategic direction to “enable business users with the ability to work anywhere, anyplace, anytime” General Mills looked to move from a device-centric management model to a user-centric computing model.  

Some of their results included:

• New PCs transitioned 80% faster, while offering more models
• Performing 1 million software installations annually
• Reduced imaging costs by $450,000 annually
  

Glen Cozine, Senior Technical Specialist and Project Manager summarized, “The Microsoft vision for user-centric computing aligns well with our own vision. Our success depends on the great ideas of our employees and our ability to respond quickly to customer demands. Our desktop infrastructure is now an enabler to that quick response and business success”

Kelly Wagman
Sr. Product Manager
System Center

We are excited to announce the beta release of the Virtual Machine Servicing Tool v3.0. 

If you’ve used version 2.1, you know that it offers free, tested guidance and automated tools that let you safely service offline virtual machines in your SCVMM library. VMST 3.0 builds on this functionality, adding powerful new features designed to streamline the process of keeping your offline virtual machines, templates and VHDs up-to-date with the latest operating system and application updates, without introducing vulnerabilities into your IT infrastructure.  VMST 3.0 helps you effectively manage the workflow of updating your offline virtual machines according to their individual needs. Using VMST 3.0, customers can also keep users productive during updates and maintenance of physical hosts: VMST 3.0 now automates the servicing of Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V host clusters, leveraging live migration.

Using new features in VMST 3.0, customers can now service:

• Offline virtual machines in a SCVMM library

• Stopped and saved state virtual machines on a host

• Virtual machine templates

• Offline virtual hard disks in a SCVMM library by injecting update packages

• Windows Server 2008 R2 failover clusters running Hyper-V

You can access the Beta Program download on Connect here.

Jeff Wettlaufer 
Sr. Technical Product Manager
System Center

Good morning everyone, we are about to start a really interesting Panel Webcast, hosted by Mark Russinovich. 

Come and  join Microsoft Technical Fellow, Mark Russinovich, as he will be leading a discussion around the process of planning, testing, assessing and rolling out Windows 7 in an enterprise organization.
Mark will be joined by a panel of IT professionals who are currently in the piloting and deployment process, along with Microsoft subject matter experts who can speak in depth about the technologies. The event will be broadcast live over the web at 9:00 am PDT, and will be available for on-demand viewing following the broadcast. The discussion will be open and candid, with the panel sharing insights, dispelling myths and getting down to the real story around technical adoption of Windows technologies. Specific topics will include the role of the pilot and the critical information it provides, best practices and tips & tricks for ensuring a successful effort, tools and technologies that will help automate the pilot and deployment processes, and conducting a frank post-pilot assessment. During the event, Mark will field questions coming in via the web from viewers across the globe.

You can access the webcast here.

Jeff Wettlaufer 
Sr. Technical Product Manager
System Center

Last week was published a video where I provide a brief introduction to System Center Service Manager 2010.  Frankly, I only scratch the surface of the rich capabilities of Service Manager, but you’ll get a decent overview of what the product can do including incident and change management, the different consoles, and the tight integration with Active Directory, System Center and Office Communications Server.

For more information on Service Manager 2010, check out the following resources:

• Download the Service Manager 2010 Trial
• Service Manager team blog
• My blog entry that provides an overview of Service Manager 2010
• The Service Manager 2010 website and TechCenter

Sacha Dawes, CISSP
Sr. Technical Product Manager
System Center Solutions for Dynamic Datacenters